One dead in two-vehicle MVA south of Campbell River

A motorcycle and dump truck were involved in a fatal MVA Thursday morning on the Old Island Highway south of Campbell River.

Initially, police confirmed they were dealing with a deceased person but did not provide any more details at the scene.

Emergency responders attended the accident scene at the 3800 block of South Island Highway shortly before 8:30, as police blocked off traffic in both directions. Drivers were rerouted through alternate roads west of the highway in the Shelter Point area.

“I’ve never seen the highway so quiet in my life,” said one resident, who did not give his name.

The dump truck rolled on its side on the east side of the highway, spilled its load and took out a hydro pole.

Police confirmed both drivers are from Campbell River. The driver of the motorcycle was deceased at the scene, while the truck driver was not hurt seriously.

The dump truck had been heading southbound while the motorcycle was heading north when the two collided head on. The call to RCMP came in at 8:22 a.m.

As far as the cause of the accident, police say it’s too early to say what the cause was.

“We’re going to have to look at everything first,” said Sgt. Craig Blanchard of North Island Traffic Services. “Right now we’re still analyzing the scene and we don’t really have a cause yet.”

He said just before noon that the road should be closed for at least a couple of more hours for the investigation. Police expect they might be able to provide more details later today.